The News Tribune Endorsements: Here are our picks for Pierce County Council

In government, much like in life, change is inevitable. And change is coming to the Pierce County Council in 2023.

For the last eight years, current council chair Derek Young has represented District 7, which includes parts of north and west Tacoma along with Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula. Young is a pragmatic, policy-focused Democrat who’s managed to accomplish more than most during his time on the council — including helping to finally pass Pierce County’s behavioral health sales tax and bringing the county’s response to the regional homelessness crisis into the 21st Century. Young is also term-limited this year, meaning it’s time for a new leader to assume the position he’s held since early 2015.

In a crowded primary, The News Tribune Editorial Board endorsed Democrat Robyn Denson as a worthy successor to Young, and we carry that strong support over to the general election. Denson, 47, is the most qualified and capable candidate in the race, boasting a wealth of local government experience that the other candidate in District 7, Republican Paula Lonergan, simply can’t match. As we wrote in our primary endorsement, Denson – a current Gig Harbor City Council member — would continue the important streak of representation from the more rural side of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

In total, there are three Pierce County Council races on this year’s general election ballot. Here’s who The News Tribune Editorial Board endorses in the other two contests:

Dave Morell for Pierce County Council, Pos. 1

Republican Dave Morell is often a man of few words. The South Hill Republican was first elected to the County Council in 2018 and now seeks a second term in office.

Just because Morell, 63, doesn’t have the gift for gab that many of his council colleagues share doesn’t mean he hasn’t been an effective representative for his district, which stretches from Bonney Lake to Crystal Mountain and includes a large swath of unincorporated East Pierce County. Morell has shown the fiscally conservative backbone constituents expect — asking hard questions and demanding guardrails to protect taxpayers before supporting spending increases — while also demonstrating the ideological flexibility to work across the aisle, which is essential for effective government.

This year, like in 2018, Morell earns The News Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsement. We don’t agree with every vote he’s taken over the past four years, but there’s little question he’s the best choice for voters in the District 1 race that also includes the hardline Timothy Tooker. Tooker identifies as an “America First” Republican and espouses the same brand of dangerous, amped-up MAGA rhetoric we hear from the likes of Joe Kent and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Morell, on the other hand, has a background as a Pierce County small business owner — he still runs a commercial construction company in his spare time — and has years of experience in state and local government. He served in the Washington state House in the early 2000s, representing the 25th Legislative District, and has served on the Central Pierce Fire & Rescue Commission and the Pierce County Charter Review board.

During an endorsement interview with The News Tribune Editorial Board, Morell said his priorities if elected for a second term will include improving public safety, addressing growing transportation concerns in his district and making housing more affordable for everyone.

Those are difficult challenges, but Morell is certainly the District 1 candidate best suited to tackle them.

“It’s been very interesting, because … two years of my four-year term have been spent battling COVID-19 and that has derailed a lot of the things that I had set out to do in my first term,” Morell said. “That’s why I’m looking forward to another term, to be able to take on the challenges that were kind of left behind.”

Marty Campbell for Pierce County Council, Pos. 5

Current Pierce County Council District 5 representative Marty Campbell is a local success story. Two decades ago he was a young small business owner known for his Stadium District video store and the used CD shop he operated near the University of Washington Tacoma.

But times change, and now Campbell, 51, is an established elected official with a long track record of success. While video rental stores and CDs have gone the way of the dodo, Campbell has become more resilient and accomplished with age, and this year he once again earns The News Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsement.

After serving two terms on the Tacoma City Council, Campbell’s first term on the Pierce County Council demonstrated that District 5 voters were right to put their faith in the Eastside resident — and they’d be wise to do it again. Representing a district that stretches from Browns Point to Spanaway, Campbell has been a steady, guiding voice on the council as it has grappled with difficult issues like homelessness and Pierce County’s lack of available behavioral health services, not to mention the prudent allocation of millions of dollars in CARES Act and American Rescue Plan funding.

Campbell’s challenger in the race is Republican Nancy Dailey Slotnick, a retired Army veteran who describes public safety, transportation and housing as her top three priorities. The longtime Pierce County resident resides near the Summit Waller and Midland area, and while she impressed The News Tribune Editorial Board with her passion and focus on issues that are top of mind to many voters this election year, we believe she’d be well served by gaining more experience at lower levels of government before taking on the responsibility of representing District 5 on the council.

Asked about his approach to leadership, Campbell told The News Tribune Editorial Board that he’s built a reputation as someone willing and able to work across the aisle to do what’s best for Pierce County — and it’s a quality he takes pride in.

Campbell earns our endorsement because of his firm understanding of what matters most.

“The vast majority of stuff that we deal with isn’t a partisan issue,” Campbell told The News Tribune Editorial Board. “Sometimes we get caught in partisan gridlock and don’t move forward on anything, but we need to make sure that we’re working together for the best of Pierce County.”

News Tribune election endorsements reflect the views of our Editorial Board and are written by opinion editor Matt Driscoll. Other board members are: Stephanie Pedersen, News Tribune president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; and Pamela Transue, a community representative who serves during election season. The Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom and does not influence the work of news reporting and editing staffs. We do not endorse any candidates who do not interview with us. We do not endorse in uncontested races. For questions, email matt.driscoll@thenewstribune.com.

This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.